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USING EDIBLE FLOWERS
Edible flowers have been used in culinary for flavour and garnish for hundreds of years. Early reports suggest that the Romans used flowers in cooking, so did the Chinese, Middle Eastern and Indian cultures. Edible flowers were popular during Queen Victoria's reign.
✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ SOME VARIETIES TO TRY Apple Blossom have a delicate floral flavor and aroma. They are a nice accompaniment to fruit dishes and can easily be candied to use as a garnish. But eat in moderation, the petals may contain cyanide precursors. Artichoke - Cynara scolymus. Pick flower heads when still tight and tender. These can be used in salads. Basil Their tiny white, rosette like flowers can be sprinkled over the salad as a garnish or added to any pizza. Bergamot have large purple/red flowers that can be used for desserts and as a garnish. It can also be used as a tea. Borage has star-like flowers and the flavor comparable to cucumber. Remove each flower head from the green calyx by gently teasing it out. The flowers are ideal to use in salads, sandwiches or as a garnish. Broccoli The top portion of broccoli is the flower buds. Wait until each floret bursts into a bright yellow flower. The small yellow flowers have a mild spiciness (mild broccoli flavour), and are delicious in salads or in a stir-fry. Calendula (Marigolds) The flowers have saffron flavored petals. Their petals can be pulled away from the flower head easily so the single petals can be sprinkled over an area. Flavours range from spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery. Their petals come in golden-orange hues. Sprinkle them on soups, pasta or rice dishes, herb butters, and salads. Petals add a yellow tint to soups and spreads. Caraway flowers are white lace like and can be used in salads, stir fries as well as fruit salads. Chives A bulbous perennial from Europe, Asia and North America. 
They are used for their long cylindrcal onion-flavoured leaves. The large mauve/purple flowers have a slight garlic/onion flavor and can be used on carrots, potatoes, in salads and in salad dressings or tossed in pastas including in soups, dips and for garnish. They flower in late spring and early summer. Snip the flower heads of the main stem before using. Coriander have lacey mauve/white flowers which can be used in soups, stews and potato salads. Dill These tiny yellow blooms have a slight aniseed flavor and are ideal for soups, dips and as a garnish. Hyssop - Hyssopus officinalis Flowers which have pungent pine taste, can be added to flavour and colour to salads. Lavender blooms are mauve, small and can be used in drinks, cakes, biscuits and in desserts, including sorbet. Lemon Verbena small white, lemon flavor blooms can be used diffused for tea, garnish or where a lemon flavor is required. Marjoram flowers will add flavor to your pizza. NasturtiumFresh flowers can be used in salads or as a garnish. Blossoms have a sweet, spicy flavor similar to watercress. You can use entire flowers to garnish platters, salads, open-faced sandwiches, and savoury appetizers. Pansies have a mildly sweet green or grassy flavour. The flavour is extremely mild when you eat only the petals but if you eat the whole flower, there is a winter, green overtone. They can be used in salads, fruit salads, desserts, soups or as garnishes. RadishDepending on the variety, flowers may be pink, white or yellow, and the flowers have a typical, spicy bite radish flavour. Use in salads. Rose The flavours depend on type, color, and soil conditions. Flavour is a reminder of strawberries and green apples. Sweet, with subtle undertones ranging from fruit to mint to spice. All roses are edible, with the flavor being more pronounced in the darker varieties. The rose flowers of miniature varieties can be used to garnish ice cream and desserts The larger petals can be sprinkled on desserts or salads. Petals used in syrups, jellies, and sweet spreads. Rosemary tiny blue flowers can be used in soups, stews and as a garnish. Their flowers are not as pungent as the leaves. Sage The mauve flowers (red pineapple Sage) are not as pungent as the leaves. The flowers are ideal for soups, stews, stuffing and as a garnish. Squash and Pumpkin The blossoms are edible and taste mildly of raw squash. Wash the blossoms, trim the and remove the stamens before using. Thyme with its tiny pink/white flowers, are ideal for soups, and savory dishes. Viola flowers come in colourful purples and yellows to apricot and pastel hues. All of these flowers make attractive adornments for frosted cakes, sorbets, in salads or any other desserts.
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